Carollers spread Christmas cheer at U of T

TORONTO - For the past decade, the University of St. Michael’s College Liturgical Choir has performed its traditional Christmas concert in front of an audience on campus. But this year, instead of the campus coming to them, the choir went out to the campus.

On Dec. 7, 13 members of the choir, joined by about five non-member students and chaplain Fr. Jim Murphy, travelled around the college singing carols. During its hour-long Christmas Carolling Service, the group toured the buildings, residences and lounges at the college, gathering more and more recruits as it sang both classic and modern songs including “The Holly and the Ivy” and Godspell’s “Light of the World.”

“There’s something about Christmas music that you don’t get any other time of year,” said Megan Reddicks, an art history masters student who has sung with the choir for four years. “When you break out the Christmas music on your iPod, computer or radio, it’s something special. Actually participating in it is fantastic.”

Reddicks said when the choir was singing outside of the John M. Kelly Library, a woman passing by told the carollers this was the first time she felt the Christmas spirit this year.

The USMC Liturgical Choir, a long-time recognized club at the Catholic college on the University of Toronto campus, is a non-auditioned group of St. Mike’s students with or without a musical background, studying a diverse range of subjects. But members all share the same passion: singing.

Choir director Anna Shareen Lubinsky, a third-year linguistics student, said the importance of the carolling service was to express the message of Jesus’ coming as a community.  

“Especially during exams, a lot of students are not anticipating the joy of Christmas,” she said. “I think the carolling really instilled a sense of joy and students starting anticipating the Christmas season.”

St. Michael’s College students and faculty were encouraged to join the choir for the carolling, whether they knew how to sing or not.

“(The choir inspires) an inclusive and safe environment for people to learn music at the college,” Lubinsky said. “We wanted to include our audience more.”

Aaron Bolarinho, a fourth-year medieval studies and philosophy student, decided to join the choir for the carolling, even though he isn’t a member.

“We’re not just singing for us,” he said. “We’re singing for everyone. Carolling is a nice reminder to students when they’re pressed by their workload that there is joy.”

After the carolling, the singers warmed up on some hot chocolate and cookies.

(Gagliano, 20, is a life sciences student at the University of Toronto.)